Cape Neddick (Nubble) Lighthouse, Cliff House

Tuesday

Nov 28, 2017 at 3:52 PM

Dawny G

One more WWI Poster: I received more than the usual reactions to the Museum's WWI posters that so affected me. Many thanks to Jack who sent this photo of a poster he has in his home.WWI poster Artist - Howard Chandler Christy We exit the Ogunquit Museum of American Art (OMAA) to admire the waterfront just as a sailboat highlights the beauty of the ocean and sky.

Leaving the Museum behind, we stop at Cape Neddick Lighthouse, one of the most popular lighthouses in New England. The craggy coast has been a vital but dangerous part of sea traffic since colonial days. In 1874, the federal government commissioned a light house for this rocky 'nub' of land. The Coast Guard took over the light house in 1939. As demands grew and technology expanded, the lighthouse function was automated (in 1987).

The Nubble Lighthouse remains functional and beautiful. The Town of York is the guardian of record for the Nubble Lighthouse (aka Cape Neddick Light Station). The Coast Guard maintains the light and horn--primary aids to navigation--and the National Register of Historic Places preserves its history.

Time for lunch, but not just lunch--lunch at the famous Cliff House.

This beautiful hotel has passed down through four generations of the Weare family, beginning in 1872 and continuing through 2014. ¨After the Civil War, when the country began to coordinate and standardize the railway system, the Weare family saw the expanding system (with a Boston and Maine track extending to York) as an opportunity to share Maine shore's beauty with the world.

The Cliff House opened in 1872, and its reputation for elegance rapidly spread from New England to New York and then abroad. Indoor plumbing and electric lights were the contributions of the second Weare generation.

Bald Head Cliff and Original Cliff House, circa 1900 (Library of Congress Photo)Cliff House maintained its lofty reputation right up to World War II. With national security in mind, the hotel shifted from accommodations for wealthy patrons to a radar station for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, monitoring the coast for enemy vessels.

After the war, the next Weare generation family member tackled the formidable task of rehabilitating a wracked property with the same determination he'd had when facing enemies of war. Over time, the Weares brought the Cliff House back to tourists. In keeping with the times (the 1960s), the hotel became a motel, catering to the many motoring tourists. An added swimming pool made the Cliff House an ideal stop.

In 1974, the fourth Weare generation began expanding and enhancing the motel, returning the cachet of its early days. By 2002, the Cliff House boasted a grand staircase linked to the Ocean Terrace, a luxurious dining room, conference and meeting rooms, a fitness center, and high-end guest rooms with balconies overlooking Maine's south coast.

Cliff House photo from https://www.destinationhotels.com/cliff-house/resortWe dine in a restaurant overlooking the water. Service, food, and view were all flawless, but my photos don't do the hotel or the view justice.

The photo above is from the hotel web site, and I urge you to visit the site https://www.destinationhotels.com/cliff-house/resort to learn more about this beautiful hotel, its history, and the luxuries it has to offer.

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